Looking to do an auto swap in my C5Z for track duty and looking to go fast. I'm curious on who all has done the powerglide conversion from ECS? I've seen a few cars running the 4l65e and making it live, Arun's car being the one on the top of my list.

How streetable is the conversion? Any issues in stop and go traffic? What shifters are being used? What RPMs (list rear gears) are being turned at 70mph?

Weighing my options on an auto swap. Making around 800-850rwhp and don't want to be ripping the trans out every other pass, but I'm not really wanting to give up the streetability of the car. I want to retain the "street car" feel.

Lets hear some feedback.

 

I did the auto conversion myself around a year or so ago. Here is the thread...http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-f...onversion.html You can call me if you would like and discuss it all. I could definetly do it alot easier now that I figured out where all of the pitfalls were. 903-705-2886.

 

subscribed

 

Although it is "streetable", I feel it would be too much toward a race car on driveability. If you're 90% street and 10% race, I would think long and hard about doing a 2 speed auto. If you're 10% street and 90% race, that should make your decision sway the other way.

 

Well I think 2 speeds makes it a race car IMO. If you don't have over drive on a new car the ac, power steering it becomes a Race Car. JMO

 

Hmm I'll take that into consideration. What if I'm around 50/50?

 

Depending on cost, i'd go with the 4L80E instead. I dont know how much fun driving around at 2500-2900rpm's would be. I'm not sure just how fast of highway speeds you could drive without sounding like your running around in first gear.

I know our 4L80E swap looks pretty much factory now, and not only will keep it up with a glide, but it has overdrive as well..


Unfortunately, an 80E install sets you back just over 15K (parts and conversion pieces alone are almost 13K)

 

 

just bring it over to my place and let me put a 4l60e and be done with it. You will enjoy it and it will run the number when your done. Hell I went from high 10's in the 6 speed to 9's changing nothing else other than the trans.

 

Bro-I got 3 years on my RPM tranny and I'm pushing it hard. There's a "few" things I play with in the tranny tables that help it live as well. Running a tight stall and leaving off idle help keeping it together as well.

For the price of the 4L80 I can run 2 4L65's and swap them when one fails.

Everytime I talk to Rodney, he talks me out of the 4L80 conversion because of all the "cutting" that needs to be done to make them fit.

 

Everyone has offered up valid points that you need to make a decision on. It comes down to how fast you want to go with reliability, and what focus is most important to you.

The power glide converter basis whether or not the car is streetable, dont forget they came in a Corvette from the factory, but if your focus is mainly street why would you want a two speed and no OD? So if your going with the glide, at least go with a "in the middle" converter, so you can street drive, although limited, and do well at the track. I only really go at best on hour trips with my car, to the beach @ 40 minutes is about it, car shows, work, that sort of thing, so it is perfect for me, but not for everyone. You have to decide that.

Of course then there is a flip side, if you race regularly, and actually like to attempt to win every now and then without it being more of a luck scenario then anything else, then the power glide is for you. You will never get as fast acting of a trans brake from the OD transmissions, and they will rarely go all season when raced regularly, like the glides do. So sooner or later you will have made it a few rounds, feelin' good, and whamo... trans is spent. Much, much, much, less likely of that happening with the power glide, and much cheaper if it did.

I only know of one fast car that is raced regularly with a 4l60, and that's JRcruisin's car, hats off to em cause he's holding up with it well. All the other swaps, or guys running fast times with any of the OD trans, run very infrequently, and/or have had transmission troubles several times over. Like myself, the power glide swap was my 13th transmission in my car over the years. Granted half or more of them were before hardened shafts, etc, were made etc, but some of them were recent too. I dont like crossing my fingers and hoping every time I launch, and thats what I used to do. Always prepared to lift in case of breakage, now I focus on driving. Much more fun way to do it when your running a fast car IMO.

We clearly talk more people out of the power glide, then into it, but hey, there can only be a few really fast people on the boards, or it gets too crowded.

 

Hey Gil who's that in your sig? It looks like Hannibal Lecter getting ready to "STICK" it to something that makes no "JAM"

 

 

how about a glide with an OD?? I know right now it's made out of unobtanium, but somebody will figure it out

best of both worlds

I went with the RPM 4l60 not quite as efficient at putting power down as the glide, but works great and cruises like champ

the glide conversion will definitely pick the car up and put more power down if you ran alot of power and a reasonable gear like a 3.15, it would be plenty streetable too

 

Not really going to be racing every weekend but would like to bust off some mid to bottom nines without issue. So I'm on the fence about the glide.....I'm thinking it's more dedicated to the race car only setup even with a in the middle converter. What are yall using for shifters?

Haha Arun you took the words right out of my mouth!!

 

wonder if it's a big block cam??

 

How mild of a converter to be streetable,yet still make it worthwhile at the track ? I like the idea of nearly half the price of the 4L80 swap and no cutting(Shut up Jeff ) I can also go back and forth if I choose,correct ? As in auto to six speed ? I feel like the 4L80 is more street/race and the PG is purely(or nearly) Race ? One way or the other,I will have one in mine for next year.

 

When I first broke my PG & 4:10 rear in, I drove around (300 miles) on the streets with stock 18" rim/tire. When I switched to 3:90 gears, I noticed a substantial difference breaking those in. I really could run 3:73's, since I'm hitting 7k through the traps with 28" slicks.

Now I think if a guy were to run 3:42's and 26 or 28" tires at the track (depends on your power level) and lets say 19's or 20's on the street (with a little higher profile), the PG would be very streetable.

But I still won't drive it all the way to Canada just to woop Arun.


Here's the shifter I have.
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...-1&showValue=1

 

That's cause by the time you got here driving your glide race car we would be knee deep in snow.

But we could arm wrestle about it?

 

Why isn't a PG steetable? Lack of OD? I have never seen a PG leave somebody stranded on the side of the road unlike a 4l60. Might be more street friendly for some.